Satan has called together a convention of his demons and gave the following speech: “We cannot forbid Christians to go to church. We cannot forbid them to read the Bible. We cannot forbid them to communicate with God in prayer. As they connect to Christ, we lose our power over them. So let them go to their churches. Instead, we shall steal their time so that they will always be BUSY and will not be able to pray, repent of their sins and develop their relationship with Christ”.

“That is what you must do”, - said the Devil. “You must prevent them from connecting to God”.
“How should we do it?” – screamed demons.

“Keep them busy with trifles, find the ways to preoccupy their minds busy with unnecessary things and fill their minds with desire of enrichment. Let them strive to earn more and more money to buy cars, apartments and houses. Let them earn more and more money to go to restaurants and cafes, to buy expensive and fashionable clothes, to renovate and expensively furnish their apartments. Tempt them to spend, spend and borrow, take long-term loans and sell themselves into bondage to the banks. When they are eager for their own enrichment, they will not need Christ…

Persuade their wives to stay at work late. Persuade husbands to work 6-7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day so that they could not spend time with their family and educate their children. Do not let them spend time with their children so that their children turn to the streets full of bad influences. The children will not succeed at school and as a result they will not succeed in life. Then their families will be destroyed, they will become lonely, and we will help them become addicts.

Make them spend more time at their computers and televisions so that they do not have time to pray.
Make sure that every store and every restaurant plays secular sinful songs. It will block their mind and destroy their unity with Christ…

Place plenty of magazines and newspapers on the tables of every café. Bombard their mind with news and commercials 24 hours a day. Surround them with a sea of billboards. Fill their postboxes with advertisements, catalogues, information, offers of free products, services and false hope.

Let them see beautiful skinny models in magazines and television so that they will believe that outer beauty is the most important thing and they would not be satisfied with their wives. Make their wives exhausted so they would not love their husbands at night, and husbands would seek love in other places. It will destroy their families very fast.

At Easter and Christmas distract them with feasts, parties, and TV concerts so that they forget to teach their children about true meaning of those spiritual celebrations.

Let them be tired after holidays. Make them be always busy, too busy to go out into nature, to enjoy God’s creation. Instead of it send them to entertainment parks, sports events, games, concerts and cinemas.

Let all Christians be always BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

Fill their life with so many good works so that they would not have time to seek strength from Jesus.

Very soon they will live and work, relying on themselves alone, sacrificing their health and their families to their business and money. It will work! It is an excellent plan!

The demons went to complete the task, making Christians be busy everywhere, be in a hurry here and there without having enough time for God, for prayers and for their families.
Has the Devil succeeded in his plan? You be the judge!

Pass this information to other people, unless of course you are too BUSY?

Translated by Irina Belenkaya
Edited by Natasha Ioffe

Dear Pastor Sunday, I want to express my gratitude for Your love, care and devotion to the people who are entrusted to You by God.
 
Thanks to Your teaching my life has literally changed in a course in a span of six months. I have neither become richer nor have taken any high position.  I have neither my own company nor  real estate, but  I have gained much more: now I understand what it means to love God and rely upon Him.
 
You helped me to look at myself with God’s eyes, helped to see what I hid for many years, kept to myself and did not try to multiply. My dreams returned to me, I began to see my future and understand where I need to go and what I need to strive for.
 
I have learned to determine priorities and keep the peace in my heart in any circumstances.
 
I also realized that You change thousands of destinies like mine, help people to change their lives and lives of the people around them and understand how great and precious we are in the Kingdom of God.

I thank God for You and pray for You.
 
Respectfully Yours
Alexander Smirnov

Translated by Irina Belenkaya
Edited by Natasha Ioffe

Good Afternoon Pastor Sunday and Team, Love in Christ Jesus, Karen Waller, BC Canada

Dear friends,

We will like to use this medium to invite you for our next History Makers Training scheduled to take place in November 2012 as well as share testimonies from past HMT participants with you.

The History Makers Training is a God inspired program that Pastor Sunday Adelaja was led to initiate. It is a training program tailored specifically for all those who consider themselves to be history makers. In the words of many, the History Makers Training is simply life transforming. So if you will like to be a part of it and for more information, please email

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

In the meantime, be richly blessed as you read the testimony of Fezi Mauncho below.

God bless.

Yours in Him,
Administration of the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations

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TESTIMONY BY FEZI MAUNCHO

It took me a while to write this because I had been processing my thoughts and experiences and trying to figure where to start writing. What is going on amongst you in Ukraine is truly remarkable and it is not easy to be brief. My experiences in the Ukraine and at the HMT impacted me profoundly. Pastor Sheni, a dear friend I met at the HMT would always tease us and say that women talk too much. They don’t know how to be brief. And so here again, I find it impossible to be brief in describing my experiences with these wonderful people of God in Kiev Ukraine.

I was so excited when I boarded my plane from Ottawa to Kiev on the 3rd of November 2011 to attend the November History Maker’s Training. I had listened to Pastor Sunday preach and had read his book “Church Shift”. This book had completely shattered my whole paradigm of church and the whole Christian experience. My heart was pounding in anticipation at what I was going to experience and learn. Would it be like what pastor and all other past participants had described? Would it be just another workshop or conference like the many I had attended that promised more than they could deliver? Was pastor as loving and as passionate about God, people and Ukraine as he seemed when I listened to his sermons and watched his videos?

Our first workshop was with men who had come through the Embassy of God’s “Cities of Refuge”, a drug rehabilitation program that was initiated by Pastor Natalia Potopaeva. We heard how the men had been set free from addiction to drugs and alcohol and how they were today contributing to society as outstanding citizens and leaders. They had been able to complete their tertiary education at the masters and even PHD level and were contributing as leaders of civic society through their political office, their own non-governmental organisations as well as via their own businesses as entrepreneurs that employed themselves and others. Indeed they were now using the freedom they had found to help others find their freedom also. As I sat there listening to testimony after testimony, I suddenly realized that this wasn’t going to be your usual run-off the mill church conference. No! This was a paradigm shifting experience - literally speaking it was a re-education.

Through various instructors in class, we learnt how to effectively use the gifts and talents inside us to bring about societal transformation. Our workshop leaders and instructors were men and women who had successfully and effectively been able to implement different strategies to deeply impact different spheres of the Ukrainian society. We were able to observe, first-hand, the lives of individuals that were being changed by their efforts. Pastor Sergei who taught us how to apply systems was extremely full of joy. His subject matter was very serious, but he was so full of joy and laughter that he made the class very enjoyable.

Also in attendance was a stay at home mum and Sunday school teacher who was able to use what she learnt working with children to become a member of her local parliament. She was now a leader not just in the church but also in the city. There were also a group of men and women who had made it their mission to tackle the problems of drug trafficking and corruption and they were so effective that they were causing the nation to take notice. This movement is so alive and present in every area of society! It is not a religious organisation based on empty dead traditions. No! For them, it is a way of life. They are literally living what they preach. Many have chosen to believe that they can be agents of transformation and are giving their time, talents and efforts to see their nation be the best that it can be. They have invested in their country. They don’t just pray for their leaders, but look for ways to creatively engage themselves in providing effective solutions to the different problems and challenges their society faces. Theirs is not a gospel of talk only, but of power through transformed lives.

During my time in Ukraine, I saw how the force of love can help transform a nation when applied in a focused, deliberate and purposeful manner. I was awakened to the sheer magnitude and power of the gospel and the possibilities for the rest of the world and specifically for me as an African. Dedicated, holy, laid down lovers of God and His people would adequately describe those that we encountered in our workshops, classes and in the different ministries that we visited. And if I had only come to attend just one workshop and not the entire HMT, it still would have been well worth it. The classes were very professional and business like. It was a perfect academic setting, but everything was laced with love. What was most remarkable was that the majority of our interactions were through an interpreter and much of what was communicated wasn’t done verbally but through subtle nuances. Their love, commitment, dedication and passion were able to transcend the language barrier.

I also felt that there seemed to be the theme of fatherhood constantly being highlighted in our group in many of our informal encounters and discussions. This was very evident in the way Pastor Sunday interacted with all the different leaders and members of the church and in how he interacted with us the students. It was also evident in the way the leaders interacted with their teams and group members. It was not a top down hierarchical organisation, but a living breathing organism, demonstrating the family model of the government of heaven. It was a culture of honour and God the Father’s Heart in action! From the cleaners, cooks, guards and drivers, to the most senior leaders, the same love theme flowed. They were all brothers and sisters in the Lord. They served with the highest form of love, honour and respect regardless of their position.

Additionally, Pastor Sunday’s dealings with us were full of kindness and compassion and he deeply invested in our success. He was a firm teacher that expected the best out of every student. He dealt with each of us as if we mattered and were not just a number or just another body in a classroom. We also spent time and interacted with lovely Pastor Bose and their beautiful children. In our hostile environments good role models are few and far between. Pastor Sunday and his wife have set quite a high standard. What struck me was that this is actually how God intended the family unit to be (and I saw it translated to those who were not your biological sons and daughters as well) but in reality, even in the church, this is an anomaly.

In conclusion, all I can say is if you haven’t yet attended the History Makers Training with Pastor Sunday, then you need to board the next plane there and fast. I learnt so much and my sincerest gratitude goes firstly to God for giving me the opportunity to be able to attend such a life transforming programme as well as to the people of God at the Embassy of God for your commitment to the cause of Christ. You are an encouragement and an inspiration. Thank you Pastor Sunday and Pastor Bose for laying down your lives to see a nation changed. Thank you for availing yourselves to the nations. Thank you for allowing us into your home, your most sacred sanctum and laying yourselves bare so that we can learn to love like Jesus loved and see our nations transformed to the glory of God.

In April we studied serving God as a value. This month we will pay special attention to cultivation of fear of the Lord in our life.

Fear of God, fear of disappointing Him and lose closeness of relationship with Him – is one of the highest values of the Kingdom of God, and of our God’s Embassy church. When the fear of God is not strong, we begin to have human fears. Being held captive by such fears,we then become unable tofollow God and His calling. Our developmentcomes to a halt. Many of us are paralyzed by fear. Everyone has something to worry about. But it is important to understand that the fear of God overcomes any human fear.

Matthew 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell”.

The fear of God releases us from different problems. If we fear God, we have nothing to fear. In this sermon I will name the main human fears that people may experience in their lifetime and cite passages that tell us about the fear of God, which can help us to defeat human fears.
 
The basic human fears:
1.      Fear of failure. It is not unnatural, but if we are afraid of failure, we cannot achieve anything worthwhile in life. 
Proverbs 3:21-26: “My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared”.

2.      Fear of shame. People are afraid to be disgraced, disappointed or to lose authority.
Proverbs 28:1 “The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion”.
 
Psalm 55:22 “Cast your cares on the Lord  and he will sustain you; he will never let  the righteous be shaken”.

3.      Fear of rejection. It is the fear of not being accepted.The fear of beingrejected by somebody.
Psalm 27:10 “    Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me    ”.
 
Isaiah 49:15-17 “  Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. Your children hasten back, and those who laid you waste depart from you.  "

4.      Fear of causing harm. We are afraid to hurt someone or something. Because of this fear we take no action and do nothing.
1 John 4:17-18 “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love”.
 
5.      Fear of success. We are afraid to start a new project that will stand out us from the crowd, we derogate our merits. We do not want to change the familiar, ordinary and simple waysof life or enter into a zone of increased responsibility. 
Psalm 34:7,8 “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him”.
 
1 Corinthians 12:31 “  Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way  ”.
 
1 Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize”.

6.      Fear of the future. A man is afraid of his fate, whether he will succeed or not.
Proverbs 14:26 “Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge”.
 
Isaiah 33:6 “  He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure  ”.

7.      Fear of poverty. Many people who are afraid of poverty become slaves of work and vanity.
Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want”.
 
Psalm 34:9, 10 “O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing”.

8.      Fear of public opinion. Most people are overly concerned about what others think of them.
Proverbs 29:25-27 “  The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. Many seek the ruler’s favor, but justice for man comes from the LORD  ”.
 
Psalm 56:3,4 “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?” 

9.      Fear of diseases. Often even healthy people have fear of being sick.
Exodus 15:26 “He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

10.Fear of losing love. We areprone to be  afraid that someonedoes not love us any more.
Romans 8:35-39 “  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written:“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord  ”.

11.Fear of old age. We are afraid to become  lonely, helpless and a burden to others.
Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life”.
 
Psalm 92:13, 14 «Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.  They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green”.

12.Fear of death. People are afraid of painful death. They worry about what will happen to their children without them. They are concerned that they do not have enough time to do all that they have planned, neither do they consider themselves  ready to enter Eternity.
Proverbs 14:27 “  The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death  ”.
 
Psalm 37:27 “Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever”. 
 
We may have many reasons to be afraid of something, worry about something. But I want to strengthen your faith in the fact that the fear of God releases you from all fears! To overcome human fears we need to live in the fear of God with a sincere and deep devotion, humility, reverence and absolute trust in His Word.
 
Bless you!
With love and prayers for your victory and courage to spread the Kingdom of God, Senior Pastor of the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations"
Sunday Adelaja            
 
For a deeper studying of this topic the following literature is recommended:
“Understanding God”, “Fear of God”, – by Sunday Adelaja.
www.godembassy.org      This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Translated by Yevheniya Pustova
Edited by Kizito Leacock

"Actually I am a very ordinary woman. I am bringing up a child with disabilities. I adopted him from an orphanage when he was four years old. He had cerebral palsy and many others diagnoses... He did not look healthy. His head was bigger than it should be, his mouth hung open and saliva flowed. His legs were also very weak. The boy crawled on his hands. He jumped on his arms and his hands were as rough as our feet. His legs were completely immobile." – This is how Nina Arkhipovna Brizhko, a 66-year-old woman from Cherkassy region began her story.

This woman gave this boy a new life. She gave him love. Today Stasik is 8 and she has literally raised him on to his feet. Stas goes to school at № 34 in Cherkassy on his feet with the help of the "walkers." In the future, according to this woman’s belief, he will be able to walk independently.

Having such an experience, Nina Brizhko together with public activists Evgeny Korolev and Dina Glazunova (Chairwoman of the NGO Pearl) decided to give a chance for recovery to other children and create a rehabilitation program for children with such a disease. This initiative is maintained by a "powerful movement that could change the world" and the deputy of Cherkassy Regional Council Paul Filippenko.

The chief doctor of Malutka , the orphanage from which I took the child, told me that a nursing home is the best place for him, that he had no future...  I imagined his future … alone, with no family and with such a disease... and I refused to agree. When I heard that he would be given to the orphanage for disabled people, I could not remain indifferent. I Then decided to take this child and signed for his custody", - said Nina Brizhko about the beginning of her life with  4-year-old Stasik.

Nina Arkhipovna believes that parents who have children with this disease should unite and help each other, and not  despair or  wait for someone else to solve the problem. She reiterated that she would not have achieved such results without the help of various people, her persistence and a positive attitude.

Nina Brizhko advises parents to participate in the creation and implementation of rehabilitation programs for children with cerebral palsy.

"Now the boy lives in a family setting. People around see how he has changed. He has further developed. He successfully studies in second grade. For three months he was receiving treatment in Evpatoria, but now he is catching up with  the curriculum. In the beginning he could not even stand on his legs. When people tried to put him on his legs he cried. Now the child walks. So far with the help of “walkers” and walls, but soon he will be able to walk independently", said Nina Arkhipovna.

In addition, Nina Brizhko shared the "secret of success." As every word of this "secret" is very important, here is her unedited speech:

- I will reveal  a secret to you. I believe in God. The Lord is with us all the time. I took the baby and I had a purpose and motivation.  I  keys and insight on how to do it. I restored the child using a system. We were studying and training all the time. We were learning poetry while having a walk, or English, or another subject…  We live in a hostel with a long corridor. So we took "walkers" and trained him to walk along the corridor… Everything was converted intoa contribution to his development. No matter what we were doing. Even cartoons and books became educational.  The child also grew up in a clean spiritual environment. There were no bad words, no negative thoughts or expectations and no problems.  Once we went for a walk and met some elderly ladies who  said, "Oh, what a sorrow" and my child said: "We have no sorrow." We are used to liv without sorrow. We do not conform to living with cerebral palsy. Cerebral Palsy – is just a situation, it is something temporary. We decided that with God we will live better and solve the problem of cerebral palsy.

Every toy and all that surrounded him served to develop him physically, intellectually and mentally. I always believed that his destiny  is not  to crawl, but to walk. I have a goal that this child will become a full-fledged individual, that he will become useful to society,  able to take care of himself, earn money and so on ... I believe that everything will be fine.  Today we can see positive results. I wish you could see him. He is a very good and interesting boy ...

Finally, Nina Brizhko again suggested that parents unite:

- I saw the condition of the children and parents. It motivates me to change something. Today, parents cannot give children with such a disease what they need.  I believe that with the help of society we can solve this problem.

Translated by Yevheniya Pustova
Edited by Kizito Leacock

Today (April 9, 2012) in the Dnieper district court in Kiev another hearing was held on the case of fraud by the financial group "King's Capital." One of the suspected persons in this process is the pastor of the Embassy of God church Sunday Adelaja. An Independent News Bureau correspondent succeeded in talking to Andrey Fedur, a lawyer defending the pastor. In an exclusive interview, he spoke about the background and details of this criminal case, and also shared his opinion on a number of important issues related to the social and political life of Ukraine.

Part Three. Church and Politics

- Andrey, you told us you have mentioned before that in order to overthrow power, people must demonstrate strong will. But how can they show strong will if so many of them are literary mesmerized by the numerous sects and all sorts activists? Yet today in court you are defending, one of the leaders of such a church, who is also accused of fraud.

- I want to say that I do not see all these religious cults as the official public opinion tells me to, but have my own stance on the matter. Religion, in my opinion, in many cases is used to strengthen the secular power. A striking example of that is Orthodoxy. And officials of these agencies have always fought for power, and will continue to fight.

As for Sunday Adelaja, I must admit, he did not commit those crimes he is accused of. The prosecution of Sunday Adelaja regarding fraud is absurd. The religious community, which he heads is massive, and many do not like it. That is the main reason for the persecution.

- But you can see everything on video recordings of his worship service.

- The first "argument" that always appears is a video. I used to speak ironically with the investigators, saying if they can find at least some kind of body of a crime on the video recordings they mention, then my client will immediately plea guilty. Generally, the problem with Sunday is not that he had committed a crime.

- But that he is mesmerizing Ukrainian people?

- No. The problem with Sunday is different, and I know exactly when and how it all began. He is not the one who started it all. Actually, he was a victim of this action. The fact that a current "prisoner" of Lukyanovka jail Yuriy Lutsenko stirred up all this trouble and his goal was not Sunday (they wanted to use him just as an instrument), but another man. And he publicly talked about it..

- Do you mean Chernovetsky (mayor of Kiev city)?

- Yes. But he is much smarter than the organizers of this process, so it all ended in nothing. But this situation is different. The persecution of Sunday started while the Yuliya Timoshenko political party was in power. Now it seems like the political party has changed and changed dramatically, and therefore the persecution should have ended in theory, but ... it still continues.

- I remember a moment in the video of his worship service, when, after the government changed, Sunday announced that he had seen God in dream, and he told him that the case against him will be closed.

- So you want to know what it all has not ended yet? Because the problem is about protecting the victims of "King's Capital’s" deals, it’s all about the church. And when I started to study this issue, I did not anticipate that there would be such a huge project, and because of that, there would of course be conflict. That Sunday has created in Ukraine one of the largest churches, or call it how you want ...

- Maybe - a sect?

- As you wish. But it’s better to take another description -an organization or group which appears to be larger than any of the existing churches in Ukraine in numbers, and even more significant is its standard of order! Why did I say any? Because the Orthodox churches are not united. And this is a serious problem. Some leaders of the church need to discredit any serious competitor. That's the problem.

Once I was in this church. Well, I have never seen in any church before such a number of presentable  (in all respects) people. I did not have opportunity or time to explain to myself and understand why they need it. But to concede that all those people are not able to understand what's going on – would mean not to respect myself.

- And still how did you explain this?

- Perhaps there’s a very simple explanation (like the rest of this branch of Christianity): in such churches, people are given positive information and thoughts; whereas in the Orthodox church they mostly "program" people for negative thought, suffering and anguish. And only in the afterlife they are divided into two groups - those who go to heaven and who to hell. And the more miserable you are here, the more likely you are to have a happy afterlife there. I think it is  incorrect.

- Is it not the same with Adelaja?

- I will repeat once again, that I am unbiased towards all religious groups. I am no expert in this area and perhaps do not understand some important facts. I once was given the chance to the congregation (in Sunday Adelaja’s church – editor) – i talked for about 90 minutes. There were several thousand people in the audience, and none of them left. And, obviously, it is difficult to listen to one person for so long. I've come to a conclusion: such religious communities offer some kind of positivity. That distinguishes them from others.

In other words, just as most people allow themselves to do something for fun. Some like playing soccer or basketball – that is also a kind of mesmerizing in a way, to switch off from problems and work. And these people have found their own way.

Faith is something purely personal, peculiar to a specific person.

You remember how one of our politicians visited all churches every public or religious holiday? Why did he do that? I believe that in this respect our President Viktor Yanukovich looks proper, as he has only one church, even though it has secret services.

-But all sorts of social organizations or sects are cultivated to make fools out of people. Isn’t that true?

-Apparently yes, to get people to vote for certain candidates in elections. People have no faith in the government, in the official, secular power,

- And what do you think about the crowd at the court of your client? A lot of people standing with posters portraying Sunday as a hero, shouting something, hearing nothing, excuse me, like zombies.

- Nothing much.

- So, you approve of them.

- I do not condemn them, for sure.

- And the fact that they are constantly screaming "Pastor Sunday is an honest man" - this is pressure on the court? Indeed, in the courtroom those cries can be heard.

- You cannot put pressure on what we do not have - and we do not have courts at all. And after all, it depends – different people see it differently. Very often we are offered some sort of picture that portrays a false image. .

- What is your attitude to public organizations, not religious, who are trying to influence the government by their own methods for the sake of improving the lives of ordinary people?

- Actually, I believe that the effort of collective influence on something or someone is actually very dangerous. In the same way I treat any political influence.

I see in Ukraine the opportunity for much more effective development than many people envision. The only thing I fear is a total cleanup. When the titular population (with no reference to ethnic origin) will have no place left for them in this country. I don’t want this territory to be cleaned up for others.

- How can this be?

- I've been to many countries and seen many things. What is now happening with Ukraine - a genocide, cleansing our territory for others. That's the danger. I am not in doubt about the prosperity of Ukraine as a territory. Another thing, who will use this wealth - the titular population, or newcomers? Many people are coming here today. Tomorrow will be more.

If I possessed the right to pass even a single law, I would insist on the adoption of a law that prohibits grants of Ukrainian citizenship: i.e, to grant citizenship to no one, under any circumstances.

- But is it right? Do you believe that foreigners can start to build their own state here?

-No doubt. You can see that they have already started doing it through Ukrainians. I am concerned and wondering  who will live here tomorrow. In particular when we implement a visa-free regime to the country, the Ukrainians should receive the same conditions and go to their country without a visa. Only with that condition, not otherwise.

- Not so long ago, Russia granted visa-free travel to citizens of Israel. That is, our neighbors have already made such an agreement.

- Yes! Personally, I am convinced that Vladimir Putin has managed to get a lot in return for this. I have no doubt that the Arab world can dislodge the Jews from Israel overnight. As soon as the right moment comes this will happen. It is clear for many and primarily to Jews. Knowing some facts from history, one can realize that we need different staging areas, including our territory.

It is appropriate to return to the church problem. I believe that the Russ Orthodox Church should not be located in Moscow. That is if it is really Russ Orthodox Church and not Russian (as in the country).

- Where should it be? May be in Kiev? You are afraid of a possible invasion of foreigners, but if Russians start to come – would this not be the same thing?

- The Russ Orthodox Church should be in Kiev (where it was born). As for the relations and positions of Kiev and Moscow, I always say this: the only ones who are not united today on the planet Earth - the Slavs. Only they are at war with each other. Personally I will support the Slavic Union, by analogy with the European Union. We must create the same union – the Slavic one.  Kiev should perform roughly the same function as Brussels in the European Union.

Ukraine has a lot of problems. One of them is the reluctance of the Slavs to unite. They do not value labour anymore – honest and constructive labour! A very disrespectful attitude toward the ground has been cultivated for several generations. Look at the foreigners who bought plants in Ukraine yesterday, and today they are interested only in the land - our land.

- Let's go back to your defendant pastor, who is yet a foreigner. At what stage is the case of Adelaja and his accomplices today? Are any of the affected testifying against the pastor?

- He does not purport to Ukrainian citizenship and land for sure. Indeed, in the Dniprovsky district court of Kiev a criminal case hearing is taking place on his charge and others. Adelaja did not commit the crimes for which he was accused and, therefore, had no accomplices. He has nothing to do with the company "Kings Capital", he is not its founder, has never worked in this company in any position, did not collect money from people in favor of the company, etc. The paradox of the prosecution is that Sunday Adelaja, who has nothing to do with this company, is a defendant in this case, and the managers of this company, who collected money from people and earned on this – are witnesses. Neither in court nor in pre-trial investigation did anyone give any evidence that they had passed money to Sunday Adelaja.

If the court makes its decision on the results of the investigation on the basis of evidence collected, I have no doubt that my client will be acquitted. But I have no faith in the objectivity of the court.

Translated by Anna Krets
Edited by Kizito Leacock

God’s Embassy Church 18th Anniversary closing service went on with a special presence of God.

The hosts Roman and Anna Trokhin opened the evening with greeting and congratulating the Church with its birthday. This Church really has given a new destiny to everyone who was present at the conference. The auditorium was filled with God’s love from the very start of praise and worship.

The testimonies of people who were obedient to God’s will continued to praise and exalt God. Married couples gave testimonies of  how their families became restored and changed after they had gone through retreats, schools of preparation for marriage and school of marriage. Men became good husbands and real fathers and took responsibilities for other people.
 
Pastor Oxana Madyudya presented all nominees and winners of the annual “Person of God’s Kingdom” Award which has been given to people who have achieved great results in different areas of social activity since 2011. 19 winners appeared on the stage to the thunderous applause of the standing audience. The winner of last nomination was Sino Agueze, pastor-missionary of MJC in the city of Perl, Mississippi, USA.

All those people (about 100) in a course of a year influence at least 10 million people. They deserve their awards.          
 
Then Pastor Sunday invited to the stage a 22-year-old Nikita Vasilenko. During the year he had completed 1st and 2nd level retreats for men, had done all the practical tasks, assumed responsibility for a mother of three, his future wife, and built a house. During all this, through his hard work, he was able to finance his education as well as the education of his fiancée and all her children.

After that everyone witnessed the presentation of the educational system in “God’s Embassy” church. Those who came out onto the stage held arrows in their hands.

Pastor Oksana Madyudya (Ukraine) presented the work of the “School of Joshua” a training Institute for ministers and missionaries, and informed the audience of the expansion, changes and new innovative forms of education which will take place at the Institute, such as coach training, online consultations and others.
 
Pastor Victoria Melnik (Ukraine) presented the “Center of Personal Restoration and Society Transformation”, which operates successfully with various majors and educational methods.

Pastor Alexey Astakhov (Russia) told about the International Academy of Business and Management, which prepares future reformers in the business world who will go on to plant the values of the Kingdom of God.

Pastor Irina Filyaeva (Russia) and Pastor Tope (Germany) introduced the Pastor School, from which 1,061 graduates are now missionaries, serving  in various parts of the world.

Svetana Kutsenko (a young postgraduate student, president of a social organization, member of several social councils, curator of Pastor Sunday’s home groups and retreats) introduced the educational process that takes place through Pastor Sunday’s home groups and retreats. To date, 592 people are members of Pastor Sunday’s home groups and 3 years of holding retreats resulted in 2, 498 graduates!

Pastor Victoria Melnik summed up the work of various educational facilities and their influence on society with the following statistic: “Today God’s Embassy has 167 functioning educational centers in 45 countries of the world. In the last 18 years 25,500 people have graduated from these various centers, and today these people are effectively planting values and principles of God’s Kingdom all over the world.”

At the end of the presentation, Pastor Sunday was given a quiver full of arrows as a symbol of true sons who share the vision of their father, have a purpose, heritage and unity with their Heavenly as well as their spiritual father.

The Conference concluded with the sermon of the Senior Pastor of the church “Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God For All Nations.”

This time Pastor preached on the following topic: “Why do people often fail to  reach the goals they set for themselves?”

He then explained by saying that many of those attending the conference are making decisions about how they will apply the information received here today. But it is a known fact that only 3% of the people end up fulfilling their resolutions and acting on them. In order for the received information and consequent resolutions to have real results, the Pastor decided to conclude the Conference with the key points for a successful application and implementation of the messages received.

He began with the following scripture passage:
“Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”55 But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village”. (Luke 9:51-56)

We can see in verse 51 that Jesus set a goal which was so difficult to achieve that He immediately met with resistance not only from the external forces, but also from within Himself.

Many of us, when we set a goal, want to fulfill it in a way that “our ‘yes’ would be ‘yes” and our ‘no’ would be ‘no’.” However, as soon as we are faced with pressure, resistance of the people around us, unfavorable circumstances - we often give up.
Pastor listed 7 reasons why people do not reach their set goals, and then explained what to do in order to succeed:
1.    People make decisions under the influence of emotions. As soon emotions subside, all plans become suspended.
Solution: Turn every decision into a plan of action.
2.    Absence of Routine- of continuously repetitive actions, which lead to the established goal.
Solution: Establish a series of specific actions, which you will regularly follow in order to draw closer to your set goal, and a time frame for their completion.
3.    Lack of desire to pay the price, take a risk and overcome difficulties.
Solution: You must always be willing to do all of the above.
4.    The Perfunctory approach, which happens when there is a lack of a clear and finished picture.
Solution: You must first do all the necessary research and calculations, think through and write down a detailed work plan for achieving your goal, and then stick to it and bring it to a completion.
5.    Inability to make creative decisions.
Solution: You must learn how to be extraordinary, and be able to think out of the box, creating original solutions to accomplish your goal.
6.    Inability to inspire a team.
Solution: You must learn to motivate people, inspire them, so that they would burn with a passion for a common goal.
7.    Lack of self-analysis.
Solution: Determine your weak points, and then work on correcting and strengthening them.
 
Then the Pastor gave everyone an assignment to test themselves, on a scale of 1 to 5, on each of the abovementioned key points, in order to determine what they need to work on. As a result, everyone can become a person who reaches their set goal.

 “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mathew 11:15)

The sermon concluded with Pastor Sunday’s passionate intercession prayer for God’s people.

The celebration of the 18th Anniversary of the church “God’s Embassy” came to an end. Speakers were invited to the stage in order to be presented with flowers and gifts. Then all the ministers were called, who were responsible for organizing this incredible celebration.

The service ended with unanimous applauds and a powerful prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord. Then DJ Light played worship music, to which everyone could worship in dancing.  

It was a wonderful and favorable time for all who attended this celebration. We look forward to seeing everyone again at the next Conference!
 
From the 18th Anniversary of the church “God’s Embassy”
April 1, 2012, Kiev, Ukraine
Press-Center of “God’s Embassy” Church

Translated by Natalie Ioffe

The third day of the 18th anniversary of the Embassy of God church started with wonderful worship to our Lord. In the first service everyone present joined in songs of praise and prayers to God led by the Right Bank Church (Kyiv, Ukraine).

Testimonies to the glory of God in the lives of believers were shared as this service continued. Three gorgeous women shared their testimonies  from the podium: Diana Ryazanova, Natalia Daineko, and Liudmila Bondarenko. For many years their lives were poisoned with alcohol and drugs. However, today, thanks to God, they change destinies of other people doing social work and helping others to rise and be free from addictions for the glory of God!

The host of the service, Pastor Dmitriy Kostyrko, also shared his own testimony. 10 years ago God set him free from a drug addiction through a rehabilitation centre. Today God blessed him with a happy family and entrustedhim  with a pastoral ministry in Vinnitsa, Ukraine.

Presentation of the activities of the Missionary Centre of the Embassy of God church with its director Bishop Anatoliy Belonozhko became the event of the day. The whole audience stood to their feet to greet the missionaries who left their homes and went to serve in other cities and countries. “You can see our missionaries, pastors, and social pastors, ministers, many of them used to have health problems and various addictions, many of them were thrown out of their family homes and forgotten. However, God gave them salvation and new lives. Today they spread the Kingdom of God all over the earth and thanks to them our church is the biggest and fast developing church in Europe”, Bishop Anatoliy Belonozhko said as he started his presentation.

As of today:

• Missions of the Embassy of God are opened in 42 countries of the world. Ministries embrace almost all spheres of people’s lives;
• We serve 79 thousand children in boarding schools and orphanages;
• The church embraces 81320 of youth;
• 72 thousand elderly people are under continuous care of the members of our church;
• 4805 disabled people are under supervision;
• 21411 people are embraced in dispensaries (specialized clinics);
• 8769 people are embraced through sports;
• About 6 thousand people are going through rehabilitation from alcohol and drug addiction
• 400300 people from different spheres of society are touched one way or another.

This influence also is made thanks to 621 NGOs and charitable funds that are registered by the members of the Embassy of God.

There are 210 rehabilitation centres opened at the Embassy of God church: 147 in-patient and 63 outpatient centres. Work is held in 168 colonies.
Trust Line at the Embassy of God church has received more than 32 thousand calls.

On repeated occasions members of the Embassy of God were awarded with honorary letters and orders, letters of gratitude, including from governmental bodies, for their active civil stance and social work.

The influence of the Embassy of God is spreading over more than 10 million people all over the world.

Then the bishop gave a word to regional pastors, who gave report about the work done in their regions and congratulated the church on its 18th anniversary. Among them were Pastor of Dnepropetrovsk region – Yuriy Kantsur, Pastor of Lviv region – Lesya Oleksyuk, Pastor of the North West region of Russia – Yulia Belousova, Pastor of the Autonomous Crimea Republic – Anton Litvin, Pastor of Kyiv region – Yulia Kulchitskaya.

In the end of the presentation the bishop invited Sergei Pyshnyi to testify. In 10 years he left the life of a drug addict to become  a church pastor, member of the Apostolic Council of the Embassy of God Church and deputy of the city council of Vyshneve city.

Today the church heard the amazing testimony of a missionary-pastor from Moscow Evgeniy Peresvetov. God called him for a mission when he was 18 years old. And at 19 years old he already left for Moscow as a missionary, where he has been serving for 11 years.

As the service went on Pastor Sunday came up to the stage together with a pastor from Latvia Pastor and missionary Rufus Ajiboye. The senior pastor of the Embassy of God shared that their strong friendship lasts fro 16 years and Pastor Rufus is one of his best teachers that he has ever known.

Pastor Rufus preached on the topic: “What I learn from the Embassy of God”. “I want to share what I see is happening in the Embassy of God and what I am learning from you”, said Pastor Rufus.

He mentioned a number of fundamental values, on which, according to him, the Embassy of God is based and developing.

1.    Passion, zeal to do something in this world. And if not for that passion, then, possibly, the church wouldn’t have been able to go through the persecutions that are attacking the church in the last years.

Passion is something that is burning inside of us and helps us to achieve the goal, which God put in to our heart. One can teach about the Gospel of the Kingdom, one can proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom, pray about it, but the Embassy of God Church brings the Gospel of the Kingdom into action.

2.    The Embassy of God church shows the model of construction of a church of the 21st century.
“I can see that in some time church will develop by the model of the Embassy of God, because other models don’t work any more”. Kingdom, Fatherhood, and Apostleship – this is what churches must be built on at our time.

3.    Special grace.
“I have not seen a church that would have gone through so many trials and remain strong, growing, and active”, said the speaker. The Embassy of God church is going though the trial of the foundation, and we can see that no attack, no circumstances can destroy its foundation. (Hebrew 12:21-28)

4.    Flexibility and openness to changes.

5.    A strong sense of a goal and mission that is accompanied by special grace.
The Embassy of God is the people who know where they are going, what they are to do and what they want to achieve. I can see that the people of the Embassy of God have a different thinking than others. It is a unique church.

6.    Sensible and balanced spiritual diet.
In the Embassy of God they put emphasis also on intellectual, financial, emotional development and social ministry.

7.    Ability to react to events happening around us and see them as opportunities while others see them as problems.
The Embassy of God does not allow people to live in their problems, but helps them solve their issues.

8.    Ability to quickly raise leaders and ministers from people, who recently where nobodies.
People rise quite quickly in this church, and become strong leaders just in a couple of years. A very strong system is in place to raise new leaders.

9.    Foresight of the leadership of the church.
The ability to foresee allows building the future already today. People from this church do not wait for somebody else to do it.

10.    The message that is the answer to various needs of the society.
Every sermons bears in itself practice and application of the truth.

11.    Variety in unity.
People are different, ministries, callings are different, and still they are all united.

12.    Ability to simplify a complicated concept and make a formula for its application.
This formula always becomes a system that can be used easily by everyone to achieve great results.

13.    Systematic and strategic approach to life and ministry.

14.    Evident presence of God and manifestation of the Holy Spirit.
I can see strong manifestation of God’s miracles and works of the Holy Spirit in every ministry of the Embassy of God Church.

15.    Sacrifice and dedication that infects others. People do everything with devotion, from the bottom of their souls as for the Lord.

16.    Radical faith that casts away every fear and is confirmed by concrete deeds.

“I can go on and on with this list, but then i might not have enough time to congratulate Pastor Sunday and all of you with this special occasion”, said Pastor Rufus in the end of the service.

After this Pastor Roman Ovcharenko and the friendly church of Evangelical Christian-Baptists “Spiritual Revival” (Kyiv) congratulated the Embassy of God. Pastor Roman warmly greeted the church, wished a happy anniversary and blessed the church  with a prayer. He marked that God gave Ukraine special grace and we all should work in unity for the salvation of our people.

The service finished with a round of applause and a fervent prayer of gratitude to the Lord!

From the Central Church,
31 March 2012, Kyiv, Ukraine
Press Centre of the Embassy of God Church

The second day of the 18th anniversary of the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for all nations was opened by a daughter church "Song of Solomon" (Kiev). They praised God for His mercy, grace, and a new destiny, which He gives to everyone who comes to Him with a sincere heart. There was unity, peace and rejoicing among people in the hall because there is nothing better than praising the Lord.
 
All the guests and those who shared their testimonies about the incredible events and changes in their lives were giving gratitude to God that day.
 
Vitali Kalinin, who serves in the Mykolaiv region, testified that in the recent past he had a drug addiction that had been torturing him for 12 years. But with God’s help, being in a rehabilitation center, he was able to get rid of this burden. Five years have passed since then. Today he is a new full-fledged person, who reforms the society thanks to God, church and  the educational system for leaders.  Moreover,  in just the last year he opened five rehabilitation centers!
 
Elena Petrova from Feodosia shared how the Lord healed her of cancer of the lungs. Eighteen months ago doctors made the diagnosis and urged her to do emergency surgery. However, by the prayers of the pastors and ministers, and the word of God she came to believe that she will be healed from this terrible disease. A week later, another examination revealed a full recovery that was much to the surprise of her physicians.
 
At 17, Oksana Solntseva  came to God disillusioned and with lost interest in life. Obsessive thoughts about suicide would never leave her. But one day she met a man who told her about Jesus. Today she is the youth social  pastor of the New Embassy of God in Pervomaisk, a member of the public council and head of a public organization. "Today I live thanks to  God and the church," - stated Oksana at the end of his testimony.
 
After such striking evidences, presenters invited to the stage those who were visiting the church for the first time. The duo of Oksana and Dmitry Koshelev (Kiev) performed for them a catchy song  "Ukrainian".
 
A significant event of the service was a presentation of History Makers movement which revealed the fruits of political and social activity of the church called "The manifestation of citizenship." This movement is led by a member of the apostolic council, regional pastor of Mykolayiv and Kherson regions, dean of the Joshua institute and social activist Oksana Madyudya. As  pastor Oksana said : " Today people of active citizenship  movements are those who have experienced  freedom within themselves, and are carrying values ​​and morals. In support of this, the leaders of public and charitable organizations, reformers and activists, shocked everyone present by the level of their influence on Ukrainian society. Only in 2011 282 public events were held in order to attract public attention, 72 roundtables, 80 social projects, 20 of which were created independently and much, much more. In the end pastor Oksana  spoke  to the senior pastor of the Embassy of God church Sunday Adelaja and his wife pastor Bose with words of gratitude: "You have taught us to love our land and to notice pain in the eyes of others" . He then awarded him with an honorary diploma for the special contribution to the development of the state and achievements in public patriotism formation.
 
The main speaker and preacher in this service was Professor Vincent Anigbogu (Nigeria), who had been recommended by pastor Bose as a man "who caught the wave of God, who understood the message which Pastor Sunday carries and took the responsibility to spread this teaching in Africa." He began with words of congratulation, and expressed his deep gratitude to his spiritual parents – the Adelajafamily , as well as thanking all the leaders and members of the "Embassy of God."
 
The subject of the sermon which he shared was called "The greatest desire of God - is a manifestation of His sons." The first question raised by professor, was "Why does God need sons?". The answer to the question made ​​it clear that God has a special program, which He intends to implement. To perform it on Earth, where He has no arms and no legs, He needs special tools, which He called the SONS. That is why He calls each of usfor sonship.

“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” - Matthew 6:9

A son, praying this prayer, should call the Kingdom of his Father to the Earth, and declare that he knows Him and is ready to take responsibility in order for  His Kingdom to be  confirmed on the Earth!
 
Professor Vincent said that the biggest problem that God has - is no sons. In fact, many of God's children are turning to Him with requests for assistance and help to solve some personal issues. But God is looking for the sons, who come to Him with questions "What do You want from me, Father?” and  “How can I be helpful to You? ".
 
The speaker then explained deep understanding of the importance of sonship for the Kingdom of God.
 
Each kingdom has a king that cannot be chosen because he was born as a king. He meant that, being once called by God, saved and freed from sin, we cannot choose how we live, but Jesus determines our fate.  Revelation 5:13 declares that  every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth obeys and glorifies the Lord. Why should we be the exception?
 
1.      Each kingdom has a territory of influence.
Isaiah 66:1 “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?”
 
By this word, the pastor called everyone who is saved, to serve in the territory where the Lord has called him, so that his land won’t moan from sin and disastrous consequences, but become a place of God’s rest, the house of His peace and grace!
 
2. Each kingdom has its principles of leadership: constitution, statutes and policies.
The professor explained that as every country in the world, "the state of God" should also have their own foundations and order, and live under the laws of the Kingdom of God and act according to His strategy. Only then will order ,  structure, peace and the glory of God prevail in it.
 
3. Every kingdom and its king have aggressive ambitions, desire to expand the territory of his kingdom and sons-ambassadors who spread it.
The Kingdom of God is not an exception, in regards to its ambitions for growth and development, compared to the kingdoms of the world. To do this, each state prepares its ambassadors, who are the true sons and patriots of their country. The Church is not the kingdom itself, but the force of ambassadors of the kingdom, who are predetermined to reach people and teach them all the principles of truth.
 
4. The level of development of the kingdom depends on the level of its culture.
Professor then compared the roots of different cultures and countries around the world. He came to the conclusion that the level,  position and degree of development of the country or nation are determined by  the level of closeness of their principles to the Bible. The closer the culture of a country is to the biblical culture and priorities, the more developed a country it becomes.
 
Concluding his sermon, the professor called on all members of the church to make Ukraine the country, which reflects the culture of the biblical principles that will elevate its economy and develop the nation. But to make it happen we should not to be afraid to pay the price and be sons!
 
After thanking the professor for the word and  true service to God in Africa, representing there the Embassy of God, Pastor Sunday urged the church to the radical devotion for eternity.  He said: "We have a choice, either to change ourselves and keep pace with the church and vision of God, or go back where we came from, which means - to die!"
 
From the central church service
March 30, 2012, Kiev
Press center of the Embassy of God
 
Translated by Yevheniya Pustova
Edited by Kizito Leacock